Torch of Leadership Award

The
Torch of Leadership Award honors individuals serving in the
Washington state government who have demonstrated outstanding support
of principals and the principalship. The award was established in
2009.

Nominations
are submitted by members of the AWSP Legislation Committee,
and the final selection is made by committee and AWSP staff members.
Recipients are named in the spring after the legislative session and
honored in October at the AWSP’s fall meeting of the Legislation
Committee.

2016 Winner: Rep. Kristine Lytton (D-40th)

Rep. Lytton

Representative Kristine Lytton is the winner of AWSP’s 2016 Torch of
Leadership Award. Lytton, a Democrat representing the 40th Legislative District, was
chosen for her commitment to K-12 education during the 2016 legislative session.

“Representative Lytton has been a strong champion of fully funding schools throughout her public service career,” said AWSP Government Relations Director
Jerry Bender. “She understands Washington’s tax structure is badly broken, which is why she continues to
explore new K-12 education solutions such as closing outdated and ineffective corporate tax loopholes.”

Lytton, who chairs the House Finance Committee, is the prime sponsor of HB 2366, which directs the
Legislature to take action by the end of the 2017 session to eliminate school district dependency on local
levies for basic education funding. That policy was enacted into law when Governor Inslee approved the
Senate version of the bill (SB 6195).